Teenager of Courage: ‘Inspirational’ Dewsbury school pupil honoured at Pride of Britain Awards

Zach Eagling, who has cerebral palsy and epilepsy, was named as the Teenager of Courage at this year’s prestigious national awards ceremony in London earlier this week.

The ceremony will be broadcast on ITV later this evening (Thursday) at 8pm.

The 14-year-old, a pupil at St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy, first captured hearts in 2020 when he raised funds for the Epilepsy Society by walking laps of his garden during lockdown.

After cruel online trolls targeted him with flashing images designed to trigger seizures, he fought back - helping to secure Zach’s Law, which came into force in September 2023, making it a criminal offence to send flashing images to people with epilepsy.

The brave youngster, from Hartshead, has since turned his attention to equal access to transport by launching a petition to improve accessibility for disabled people, and recently met with Kim Leadbeater, MP for Spen Valley, and Transport Minister Simon Lightwood to discuss his campaign.

Zach’s proud mum, Claire, said: “I’m beyond proud and so happy that Zach’s efforts are being recognised on such a huge stage.

“He can now hopefully see how his campaign will have a lasting impact for generations to come.”

Kim has been fighting Zach’s corner since she met her inspirational young constituent almost four years ago, and helped introduce Zach’s Law into the Online Safety Bill.

Zach joined other unsung heroes at the ceremony where he was celebrated for his courage and commitment to helping others, before collecting his Teenager of Courage award.

Kim said: “Zach is an absolute inspiration. I’ve been proud to work with him on the Online Safety Bill to deliver Zach’s Law, and now on his campaign to make transport fair and accessible for everyone.

“Zach never gives up - he keeps fighting for what’s right and making a real difference for others. He’s a force of nature and it’s a real pleasure to spend time and work with him.”

Karl Mackay, headteacher at St John Fisher, added: “Everyone at St John Fisher is incredibly proud of Zach for winning this prestigious national award.

“Zach has previously campaigned tirelessly to introduce legislation – Zach’s Law - and his dedication, resilience and passion for this cause truly set him apart and he is an inspiration to our entire school community.

“Zach’s achievement demonstrates what can be accomplished through hard work and determination and we are delighted to see him recognised on such a significant platform.

“Congratulations Zach – you have made us all very proud!”

You can see Zach receive his Teenager of Courage honour on ITV tonight (Thursday) at 8pm on The Pride of Britain Awards 2025.